Portraits is a collection of stories and illustrations showcasing the complicated nature of unresolved feelings.

The stories are grounded in the real experiences and feelings of women who agreed to speak to author Erin Klassen about the figures of their romantic pasts.

Portraits was created through a back-and-forth collaboration between the author and artists, allowing the final product to evolve organically, without a predetermined conclusion. The result is a collection that explores the selective nature of memory; the remembering, re-imagining and reclaiming of personal narratives through revealing the sometimes uncomfortable and unflattering —but honest—ways we feel.

From desire to despair these vignettes reveal a slice of the female unconscious, shining a light into the dark corners of our hidden selves.

This book looks as beautiful as it reads – it’s a thoughtfully-made self-published work that emphasizes the imprints that relationships make on the psyche and soul, and the importance of reflection and renewed self-discovery from a very empathetic female perspective.